PR crises that have defined 2019

There are four months left in 2019, but it already feels like we’ve witnessed a year’s worth of scandal and crisis.

Last year, it was Facebook’s data misuse and Starbucks’ diversity missteps. This year, it’s Boeing’s 737 Max and retailers responding to gun violence in their communities. 

For all that has changed about PR in the last several years, a couple of constants have stood out: a skeptical, outrage-prone consumer audience and a social media environment that thrives on online stone-throwing.

The experts’ advice? Be transparent. Be proactive. Have a crisis communications plan. It’s not novel advice—so why is there a new company every year trying to jam a finger into the reputational dike? 

Here are the companies that found themselves underwater in 2019:

1. Boeing and the 737 Max crisis